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China has taken a  decisive step toward technology self-reliance , ordering domestic organisations to  stop using cybersecurity products from leading US and Israeli firms  and replace them with local alternatives by  1H 2026 , according to a government directive seen by Bloomberg. What Happened Chinese authorities instructed companies to  identify and phase out foreign cybersecurity products , citing risks that sensitive data could be transmitted overseas or expose customers to security vulnerabilities. Firms named in the directive include major global cybersecurity players such as: Palo Alto Networks Fortinet Check Point Software Technologies The advisory also alleged links between these companies and foreign intelligence agencies, though  no evidence was provided . Scope of the Ban Beyond the headline names, the directive also covers a broad list of cybersecurity and software firms, including: CrowdStrike Holdings SentinelOne Rapid7 CyberArk Broadcom ...

Palo Alto Networks (PANW)  shares dropped  3% in after-hours trading  as investors were left underwhelmed by the company’s  bookings metric , despite  strong Q2 revenue growth of 14% to $2.3 billion , beating expectations. 🔹 Key Earnings Highlights 🔹  Revenue:  $2.3 billion (above the $2.2B estimate). 🔹  Adjusted EPS:  $0.73 (below the $0.78 consensus). 🔹  Remaining Performance Obligations (RPO):  $13B for Q2 (in line with $12.96B expected). 📌  Forward Guidance: April quarter RPO:  $13.5B-$13.6B (analysts expected $13.55B). Revenue forecast:  $2.26B-$2.29B (vs. $2.27B expected). 📌 What’s Missing? ✔️  RPO growth accelerated to 21% , but the dollar value met expectations without exceeding them, leaving investors wanting more. 📌  Why It Matters: Bookings and RPO are key indicators of future revenue , and steady (but not exceptional) growth raised concerns. 🛡️ Platformization Strategy Under Scrutiny 🔹...

The governance pillar of the  Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)  framework, often overshadowed by its environmental and social counterparts, is receiving greater emphasis under Malaysia’s  Budget 2025 . These reforms are aimed at ensuring  transparency ,  accountability , and  socio-economic equity , creating a foundation for a more  resilient and inclusive Malaysia . Key Highlights of Governance Reforms 1. Fiscal Responsibility and Subsidy Reforms The government is narrowing the  fiscal deficit to 3.8% of GDP  in 2025 (from 4.3% in 2024). Subsidy Rationalisation : Phasing out blanket subsidies in favor of  targeted assistance  to benefit vulnerable groups. Savings will increase  Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah  allocation from  RM8 billion to RM10 billion , supporting 9 million recipients. Revenue Boost: Sales and Service Tax (SST)  expansion. 2% dividend tax  on income exceeding RM100,000 annually. 2. Pub...

Hackers targeted several Taiwanese financial platforms, including the Taiwan Stock Exchange and Mega Financial Holding Co, in a coordinated cyberattack on Thursday. The attack, which briefly disrupted the websites of these entities, was described by local media as an attack by foreign agents. The attackers employed a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, which overwhelmed the targeted websites with web traffic, causing unstable connections. According to the Ministry of Digital Affairs, the Taiwan Stock Exchange detected unusually high web query volumes originating from overseas internet-protocol addresses. The exchange managed to restore normal operations within a half-hour of the attack. Local media outlet Liberty Times reported that a Russian group claimed responsibility for the attack on Telegram, citing an analysis by cybersecurity researchers at Radware. However, the Ministry of Digital Affairs did not confirm the origins of the assault and maintained that it will continue ...